Horseback riding for pleasure, sport or work is an activity engaged in the world over. Despite the longstanding popularity of horseback riding which can be measured in terms of millennia, riders continue to experience blisters, sores, scrapes, rashes and other such irritations on the legs, particularly the inner portions of the calves and thighs which result from movement of the legs in contact with various saddle parts. A wide variety of protective clothing and articles have been-developed over time to obviate this problem. All of them involve incorporation of a protective material between the rider's leg and saddle. Nearly all are worn by the rider or attached to the rider's legs.
For example, it is a common practice for riders, particularly those engaged in English-style riding, to wear riding breeches. Riding breeches are specifically designed for equestrian activities. Traditionally, they were tight in the legs, stopping about halfway down the calf, and had a pronounced flare through the thighs that allowed freedom of movement for the rider. However, with the advent of modern stretch materials such as spandex, modern breeches have no flare and fit skin-tight. Some are adapted with a gripping material, usually leather or a “grippy” synthetic on the inside of the thigh, knee and/or calf area to prevent wear and protect the skin. They are often worn with half chaps which are sturdy coverings for the legs that extend from the ankle to just below the knee. They afford protection from sweat and the stirrup leather component of English saddles.
In Western disciplines, it is more common to wear denim pants, some of which are specifically designed for riding in that they have eliminated the bulky inseam which tends to rub against the skin when riding. Western-style riders also wear a wide variety of accessories designed to protect the legs. Examples are chaps, chinks, armitas, woolies, and zamorros. Some of these are intended to protect the outer leg rather than the inner, but most afford protection to both.
A significant shortcoming of most of the above prior art leg wear articles is that they can be bulky and tend to retain heat generated by the wearer when riding, causing excessive sweating which can lead to skin irritations and discomfort. Particularly in warmer climates wearing of such articles is often undesirable. In fact, in warm climates it is often the desire of many riders to wear shorts rather than long pants and other protective wear in order to reduce sweating and expose the legs to the sun while riding. Such a practice, of course; is uncommon because having no layer of protection between the inner leg and saddle parts can easily damage the rider's skin.
One solution to the above described problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,233 issued to Majewski in 1992 which describes a method and apparatus for protecting a rider's legs while riding horseback on an English-style saddle. The Majewski apparatus suffer from certain shortcomings and limitations not the least of which is that it is not intended or suited for Western-style saddles. Moreover, the Majewski apparatus does not shield the rider's inner leg from contact with the saddle skirt, the free-end of the stirrup leathers, or the stirrup leather keeper. While the Majewski apparatus is likely useful in protecting the lower leg of the rider, it does not protect the entire leg. Moreover, it is not suitable for use on Western saddles which have a considerably different architecture than English-style saddles.
Other problems frequently encountered by Western and English riders who utilize communication aids (also referred to herein as “implements”) in the form of a riding crops, bats, rods and the like while mounted atop a horse are that the communication aids, are frequently dropped by accident and there exist no effective means for temporarily stowing them on the saddle if the rider requires full use of their hands. When accidentally dropped, the rider is required to dismount in order to retrieve the implement. Temporary storage of the implement to gain full use of the rider's hands is usually accomplished by wedging the implement between the rider's thigh and the underlying saddle, and hoping that it doesn't drop out. Naturally, this method is uncomfortable and restricts the rider's freedom of movement, particularly during the post.
Accordingly, there is a need in the all for a leg protection apparatus that may be mounted to virtually any type saddle, whether English, Western or otherwise, and that protects the full length of the rider's inner leg while riding in short pants or thin leggings. Moreover, there is a need in the art for such an apparatus that includes means for temporarily stowing communication implements such as riding crops, bats, rods and the like while the rider is mounted, and for preventing such implements from being accidentally dropped.